SURVIVAL, METASTASIS AND RECURRENCE OF ORAL-CANCER IN RELATION TO PATHOLOGICAL FEATURES

The outcome of 123 patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the oral/o ropharyngeal mucosa treated by primary radical surgery and simultaneou s neck dissection and followed up for a maximum of 5 years is reported and related to the pathological features of the tumour. Actuarial sur vival analysis showed the overall 1-year survival probability was 84%, falling to 69% at 2 years, and 65% at 5 years. For patients without l ymph node metastasis, the corresponding survival probabilities were 95 %, 86% and 86%, respectively; and for patients with metastasis, 71%, 5 2% and 44%, respectively. In all, 30 patients (24%) died of their oral cancer; 16 (13%) of local recurrence, 10 (8%) of regional recurrence and 4 (3%) of systemic metastases. In addition to lymph node metastasi s, survival was related to the site and stage of the primary tumour, h istological pattern of invasion, status of the resection margins and, for patients with metastasis, the number and anatomical level of posit ive nodes and the presence and extent of extracapsular spread. These p athological features are important indicators of tumour behaviour and should be incorporated into protocols for assessment of prognosis.